Ross Hutchins declares he’s feeling good and planning a return to tennis in new year

Ross Hutchins aims to be back on the tour in January (Picture: Lucy Young)

Ross Hutchins has revealed his ambitious plans to return to the full-time tennis circuit in January, a year after being diagnosed with cancer.

The popular doubles specialist has won many admirers for his brave battle against Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Faced with the bombshell news last Christmas, he went into remission in late July but only after a gruelling six-month chemotherapy programme at Chelsea’s Royal Marsden Hospital.

And now the 28-year-old Great Britain Davis Cup player is adamant he can rebuild his career with long-term doubles partner Colin Fleming, entering the Australian Open in the new year and making Wimbledon and the Barclays ATP World Tour finals at London’s O2 major targets.

‘I’m feeling good, stronger by the day,’ Hutchins said.

‘We’re aiming to start again in January and gradually build it up. I’m looking to play 20 tournaments next year, finishing at the ATP finals. But we’ll need to be in the world’s top eight.

‘Of course, we’re looking at Wimbledon. It’s the ultimate tournament to play at and it’s definitely a key goal for us with a lot of ranking points at stake.’

Along with Fleming, Hutchins reached a doubles ranking of No.28 last year before he was forced to put his career on hold.

But his defiant refusal to be beaten was typified by his organisation of a charity fundraising event at Queen’s Club – Rally Against Cancer – with the aim of raising £100,000 for the Royal Marsden Hospital’s cancer centre, where he was treated.

Colin has always been there for me and said he’d wait for me to return, which was incredibly important for me.

The star turn was Hutchins’ great friend, Andy Murray, who played alongside Tim Henman in an exhibition match against his coach Ivan Lendl and Tomas Berdych before donating his £73,000 Aegon Championships title winnings to help boost the total to nearly £300,000.

‘It was a very special day,’ Hutchins added.

‘Andy was obviously incredibly supportive and to donate his winnings for Queen’s says all you need to know about him. I’d had my final chemo session the week before and the whole tournament went off well.’

Three weeks later, Murray claimed the ultimate prize by becoming the first Briton to win the men’s Wimbledon title since Fred Perry in 1936.

Hutchins said: ‘I was sure he could do it. He’d already beaten the best players on the tour, won the US Open and the Olympics and was in the shape of his life.

‘But to do it in the way he did it against the top player in the world (Novak Djokovic] in straight sets, was incredible, especially when you think back to him being two sets down to Fernando Verdasco in the quarter-finals and on the verge of going out.

Hutchins talks to children in Tottenham, where the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals trophy was on display (Picture: Lucy Young)

‘It was pretty emotional for me to see that with everything that had been going on.’

Hutchins says Murray, who he sees on a regular basis, is in good spirits as the world No.3 recovers from back surgery.

‘He’s okay, feeling a lot more comfortable and will be back soon,’ Hutchins said.

‘I’ll be joining his training group in Miami in December in preparation for the new season and also head to La Manga [Spain] with Colin for some conditioning work.

‘Colin has always been there for me and said he’d wait for me to return, which was incredibly important for me.

‘I need to get as much court time in as possible but each day I feel my touch is coming back. The plan is to battle back to where Colin and I were and get even better. I feel we have unfinished business.’

Hutchins says he is feeling better by the day as he prepares to return to action (Picture: Lucy Young)

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Ross Hutchins was speaking at the launch of the refurbished courts at the White Hart Lane Sports Centre which have been given a makeover to replicate the venue for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. ‘It is an incredible facility and the kids love the blue courts – “the same as Djokovic plays on at the O2” – they’re telling me.’ The revamp was part of the Barclays Spaces for Sports programme, which aims to use sport to revitalise disadvantaged communities.